Mohammad Mohebi is Rijeka's new player: Iran international signs two-year contract
Mohammad Mohebi is a new HNK Rijeka player. The Iran international underwent a medical examination on Monday, 31 August 2026, and on Tuesday, 1 September, signed a two-year contract with the Rijeka top-flight club. According to information published by tportal on 1 September, the 27-year-old winger arrives at Rujevica as a free agent after the end of his spell with Russian club Rostov, meaning Rijeka are not paying a transfer fee for his arrival. Mohebi primarily plays on the left side of the attack, but can also cover the right wing and centre-forward positions, giving Rijeka's coaching staff an additional option when setting up the attacking line. He joins his new club with experience of playing in Iran, Portugal and Russia, as well as fresh appearances at the 2026 FIFA World Cup, where he played all three group-stage matches for Iran.
The transfer was completed after Mohebi had arrived in Rijeka several days earlier. Novi list reported on 29 August that the Iran international had arrived at Rujevica and that a medical examination was scheduled for the beginning of the following week, after documentation related to his departure from Rostov first had to be completed. Two days later, the examination was carried out, and the contract was signed on 1 September. Rijeka thereby completed a deal that Croatian media had been reporting on since mid-August. Of particular importance to the club is the fact that they have signed a player with international experience without having to pay a transfer fee to his previous club, while the financial details of the contract have not been publicly disclosed.
Scored against New Zealand at the World Cup
Mohebi arrives in Rijeka just over two months after appearing at the 2026 FIFA World Cup in Canada, Mexico and the United States of America. Official FIFA data confirm that Iran opened the tournament in Los Angeles on 15 June with a 2-2 draw against New Zealand, with Mohebi scoring Iran's second goal. New Zealand took the lead through Elijah Just, Iran equalised through Ramin Rezaeian, and after New Zealand went ahead again, Mohebi headed home in the 64th minute to make the final score 2-2. FIFA stated in its match report that Rezaeian delivered an accurate cross, after which Mohebi headed the ball in off the post. That goal was one of the key moments of Iran's opening match of the tournament.
Iran remained unbeaten at the tournament but still failed to progress from the group. According to FIFA's review of Asian national teams after the tournament, Iran followed the draw with New Zealand with a 0-0 draw against Belgium and a 1-1 draw against Egypt. The team therefore finished without a defeat, but ranked ninth among the third-placed teams, while the eight best third-placed teams advanced to the knockout stage. For Mohebi, however, the tournament represented an important confirmation of his status in the national team, as he appeared in all three matches. FIFA included him among the starting players in previews of Iran's matches, while his goal against New Zealand further highlighted his ability to get into scoring positions from the wing.
His importance to the national team did not begin only at the final tournament. FIFA had already singled out Mohebi in November 2024 following Iran's 3-2 qualifying victory over North Korea, in which he scored two goals. Mehdi Taremi assisted all three Iranian goals in that match, while Mohebi found the net in the 41st and 45th minutes. Iran then continued their successful qualifying campaign and secured qualification for the World Cup in March 2025 with a 2-2 draw against Uzbekistan. In its profile of the Iranian national team, FIFA lists Mohebi among the players who played an important role in that qualifying campaign, placing his arrival in Rijeka in the context of a player who has been part of the stable core of his national team in recent years.
Three seasons at Rostov and experience in Portugal
Before arriving in Rijeka, Mohebi spent three seasons with Rostov. According to figures published by tportal, he made a total of 80 Russian league appearances for Rostov, scoring 15 goals and providing 11 assists. In his final season, he appeared in 28 league matches, started 16 times and recorded three goals and three assists. Those figures show that Rijeka are not signing a player without continuity in senior football, but a footballer who has played regularly in recent years in one of Europe's more physically demanding leagues. His role is not exclusively focused on scoring goals, as he has spent most of his career as a winger who also contributes to creating attacking moves.
Before Russia, he played for several clubs in Iran and Portugal. Tportal states that during his career he wore the shirts of Shahin Bushehr, Sepahan, Santa Clara and Esteghlal before moving to Rostov in 2023. Portuguese club Santa Clara provided his first more substantial experience of European club football, while after returning to Esteghlal he once again played in the Iranian league before departing for Russia. Such a career path means that his move to Rijeka is not his first encounter with a European football environment, different styles of play and adapting to a new country and league. At the age of 27, he arrives as a developed player, so he will be expected to make an immediate contribution to competition within the squad rather than undergo the long-term development usually associated with younger signings.
Mohebi is 186 centimetres tall and, according to tportal, can play on the right side and as a centre-forward in addition to his primary role on the left wing. That combination of height, movement and ability to play in several attacking positions distinguishes him from a traditional winger tied exclusively to the touchline. His goal against New Zealand at the World Cup is a good example of his ability to attack space inside the penalty area from a wide position and finish the move with a header. Such a profile could be useful for Rijeka in matches where greater directness or additional presence in the final third is required. However, his exact role in the new team will be determined by the coaching staff, and at the time of signing the club had not publicly announced whether he would immediately compete for a place in the starting line-up.
Rijeka seeking greater efficiency in attack
Mohebi arrives at a time when Rijeka have just come through a demanding end to August. The Rijeka club were eliminated by Danish side Midtjylland in the UEFA Conference League play-offs. UEFA's official qualifying overview states that Midtjylland won the first match 2-0 and then claimed a 4-1 victory at Rujevica on 27 August, for a 6-1 aggregate score. Rijeka's European season therefore ended before the league phase of the competition, allowing the team to focus entirely on domestic commitments at the beginning of September. The arrival of a new winger therefore coincides with a period in which the coaching staff can organise the squad more precisely for the league and cup competitions.
The final league match before Mohebi signed further demonstrated why competition in the attacking part of the squad is important. HRT and Hina reported that Rijeka drew 0-0 away to Gorica on 31 August. Rijeka had more possession and spent most of the match in the opposition half, but struggled to create clear chances and failed to find the net. After that match, Rijeka remained fifth in the league standings with seven points and a game in hand. One new player cannot solve the finishing problem on his own, but Mohebi's ability to play in several attacking positions increases the number of options available to the coaching staff in matches against deep defensive blocks.
According to the official SuperSport HNL schedule, Rijeka's next match is scheduled for 5 September at 20:00 against Osijek at the stadium in Rijeka. At the time this article was published, it had not been officially confirmed whether Mohebi would already be available for selection. That will depend on the completion of registration procedures, his current physical condition and the decision of the coaching staff. Since he successfully passed the medical examination before signing the contract, the basic prerequisite for completing the transfer has been fulfilled, but signing the contract does not automatically mean an immediate place in the starting eleven. His first appearances will show how quickly he can adapt to the demands of the HNL and Rijeka's style of play.
Arrival without a transfer fee reduces transfer risk, but expectations remain high
From a sporting perspective, signing a player without a transfer fee gives Rijeka the opportunity to strengthen the squad without the traditional cost of purchasing a contract from another club. That does not mean the signing comes without costs, because a professional contract includes salary and potentially other contractual obligations, but those details have not been publicly disclosed and cannot be reliably estimated. What has been confirmed is that Mohebi arrives as a free agent and has signed for two years. Such a contract length gives Rijeka sufficient time to assess his contribution across multiple competitive periods, while providing the player with stability after three years spent at Rostov. Since he arrives as a current Iran international, expectations will naturally be higher than for a player who is only entering senior football.
Mohebi also brings a profile that is not common in every transfer window for Croatian clubs: he is a player who, just a few weeks before arriving in the HNL, appeared at the World Cup and scored there. Such a background does not in itself guarantee success at a new club, but it confirms the level of competition he has recently faced. Iran played against New Zealand, Belgium and Egypt at the World Cup, and Mohebi was part of a team that did not lose any of those three matches. Additional experience from Russian and Portuguese football means that he has already gone through the process of adapting to European leagues, which could make the transition to the demands of the Croatian league easier. For Rijeka, however, what matters most will be what he can offer in the current season rather than the reputation created by his previous performances.
From Iran international to a new challenge at Rujevica
Mohebi's arrival concludes a transfer story that lasted approximately two weeks. Novi list first wrote in greater detail about the possibility of his arrival in mid-August, and on 29 August it was confirmed that he had arrived at Rujevica. After the medical examination on 31 August, the signing of a two-year contract followed on 1 September. The player who spent the previous three seasons at Rostov thereby became a new member of Rijeka and opened a new chapter of his career in the SuperSport HNL. His first objective will be to earn a place in the team and transfer some of his international and national-team form into the club environment.
For Rijeka, the transfer comes at a time when the rhythm of the season is changing following elimination from European competition. The team no longer has Conference League commitments, and every league point carries greater weight in the battle for the top of the domestic standings. The goalless draw against Gorica showed that there is room for additional quality and competition in the final third of the pitch. With his experience, ability to play on both wings and appearances for Iran, Mohebi offers a different profile from part of the existing squad, but the true value of the transfer will only be possible to assess after he gets a run of regular appearances. With the signing on 1 September, the administrative part of the deal was completed; from that moment, the focus shifts to the pitch and the question of how quickly the Iran international will become an important part of Rijeka's team.
Sources:
- tportal - confirmation of the signing of a two-year contract, Mohebi's status as a free agent, the positions in which he plays and his statistics from Rostov (link)
- Novi list - Mohammad Mohebi's arrival at Rujevica, documentation following his departure from Rostov and announcement of the medical examination (link)
- FIFA - official report from the Iran - New Zealand 2-2 match and information about Mohebi's goal at the 2026 World Cup (link)
- FIFA - review of Asian national teams' performances at the 2026 World Cup and confirmation of Iran's group-stage results (link)
- FIFA - review of Iran's qualifying victory over North Korea and Mohebi's two goals (link)
- FIFA - Iran profile, qualifying campaign and qualification for the 2026 World Cup (link)
- UEFA - official results of the Conference League play-off between Rijeka and Midtjylland (link)
- HRT / Hina - report on the league draw between Gorica and Rijeka on 31 August 2026 and Rijeka's position in the table after the fifth round (link)
- SuperSport HNL - official schedule and kick-off time for Rijeka - Osijek on 5 September 2026 (link)